The Magic Of His Music
by tulip meadow
Summary: Elaine Larren is a British friend of Veronica Grimm's. A year after Veronica's wedding, Elaine suddenly comes to visit her in Ferryport Landing. What will happen - and what is the reason for such unexpected visit?
1. The prologue

**Chapter 1, or maybe the prologue**

**Bristol, England**

**The 13****th**** of May 1994**

Elaine Larren's POV

Yesterday I received a letter from my old acquaintance, Veronica Clarens, now Mrs. Veronica Grimm. We met two years ago, when she came from New York City to spend vacations in Bristol. She has a soft, friendly character, so it's easy for her to become best friends with any person she meets.

Me and Veronica became best friends indeed. I frequently visited her in New York, and she spent lots of money on international mobile phone calls to me. Last year, though, she got married and moved to some tiny Ferryport Landing town where her husband lived.

Since then, I had received nothing but letters from Veronica. The letters were long and interesting, but she didn't write very often. So yesterday I naturally was excited when my little sister found an envelope from Ferryport Landing in the letterbox.

I read Veronica's letter aloud:

_Dear Elaine,_

_Thank you for your last letter. Everything's going fine around here. Ferryport Landing seems to be the most quiet and happy town in the US! Right now, by the way, it's the most beautiful one. There are many wild apple trees in the forest that surrounds the town, and every apple tree's now blossoming. I wish you could see it! _

_Yes, I wish it so much, and __**that's**__ why I'm writing to you now. You see, Henry's soon going to Boston on a business trip and Relda wants to visit some friend of hers in Cold-Spring (another town, not far from Ferryport Landing). So I'll be alone for a week or so. Maybe you could come and visit me here in the end of May? I have actually missed you and Melanie _(that's my little sister)_ very much, so I'd love to see you both in Ferryport Landing in about two weeks._

_If you agree, then here are the directions for you. You need to get to New York City and then to go to Ferryport by train, from Grand Central. The faster trains depart from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every hour. The slow ones depart every twenty minutes._

_I hope you'll accept the invitation! _

_Love to you and Melanie._

_Veronica._

"So, Melanie, do you want to visit Mrs. Veronica?" I asked cheerfully. I didn't hesitate a moment myself.

"Yes, I do! Of course!" she cried and clapped her hands.

"Then it's decided. We'll come to Ferryport Landing and see our old friend at last, agreed?"

**Rather short... But it's just the beginning!**


	2. Was there a letter?

**Chapter 2. Was there a letter?**

Elaine's POV

"'_So, Melanie, do you want to visit Mrs. Veronica?' I asked cheerfully…_

'_Yes, I do! Of course!' she cried and clapped her hands…_

'_Then it's decided. We'll come to Ferryport Landing by the 28__th__ of May, agreed?'"_

I opened my eyes. I've just had a daydream, or a flashback, or some kind of hallucination. In the real world, I was standing in front of my little sister Melanie, who had a confused expression on her face. I looked at the table for some letters or envelopes – just in case – and was going to continue washing up, but Melanie suddenly asked me:

"Hey, Elaine, you told me we'd go somewhere in the end of May!"

"Huh? You want to go on a trip or a cruise?" I was a little distracted. Maybe it was because I fainted a minute ago.

"No, not exactly, the thing is _you_ told me something about visiting some friend of yours… I can't remember exactly whom. I think I fainted a bit".

I was worried. In my dream, I've received a letter from my old friend Veronica Grimm. She was inviting me to come and visit her in Ferryport Landing. Melanie's dream (or hallucination?) was amazingly similar to mine. I suspected that we both needed to go to a psychiatrist: either the two of us were having one hallucination or we both fainted at the same time and lost a bit of our memory (which is more possible).

I was considering the wise decision about the psychiatrist when some noise or a little musical note brought me back to reality. I have no idea what was it exactly, and it didn't matter.

"Well, Melanie," I said. "I think we did receive an invitation letter from Mrs. Veronica Grimm – you remember her?"

"The former Ms. Clarens? Sure! She's so nice!"

"She's one of my dearest friends ever," I corrected. "I think we did receive a letter from her, but I may have accidentally thrown it somewhere on the floor. No, no, no, Melanie, don't search for it. I remember it clearly. She was inviting us to Ferryport Landing, her husband's hometown. Do you want to accept the invitation?"

"Yaaay!" Melanie squealed. I laughed and started packing. I didn't know if it was the better choice, maybe we should have made sure that the letter from Veronica had existed. But Melanie was _so happy_! And when our parents were dying after a railway crash, I promised them I'd give my sister a happy life. I seemed to succeed. Right now, Melanie was dancing, jumping and grinning from ear to ear. She adored Veronica.

Anyway, I felt like I temporarily lost my mind.

* * *

**Two weeks later**

**Grand Central Station, New York City**

Melanie and I had finally purchased the tickets for a fast train to Ferryport Landing. We had spent three days in New York City, we visited Coney Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Empire State Building. The sights were superb, both of us were impressed beyond words… Still, we couldn't wait to come and see Veronica in her tiny quiet town.

It took the fast train two hours to get to Ferryport Landing. We rushed outside, expecting to see Veronica smiling and waving her hand…

We did not see her. The platform was empty.

"Oh, I'm a fool!" I realized. "I forgot to phone her and let her know we're on our way!"

"He he he!" Melanie smirked. "How can you behave so bad? You're a big girl. This is a stupid behavior for a twenty-year-old one!" she was mocking me. I said almost the same when I scolded her, only Melanie was nine years old, not twenty.

I took out my mobile phone and called Veronica immediately. When she answered, she seemed surprised:

"Ellie? Oh hi, I haven't heard you for months. How are you doing? How's Mellie?"

"Veronica! We have just arrived in Ferryport Landing! Sorry I didn't call you and let you know we are here at last…"

"Ellie, how wonderful of you! You have come to visit me! I know, I know – it was terribly rude of me to almost ignore you for a year. But I'm so-o-o glad that our friendship hasn't ended! How did you know that I'm left alone in Ferryport for nearly a week and I'm feeling lonely?"

"You sent me a letter, inviting me and Mellie to visit you…"

Veronica was startled. She was silent for a few seconds, then stammered:

"Eh… Ellie? I haven't sent you any letters since March! Was… are you sure it was from me? I… I mean, I'm… I'm very happy that you came here, b-but…"

"Veronica!" I cried. "I'd recognize your address and your handwriting anywhere!"

"Well, alright. I'll think about it later. Now, please, tell me where you are," Veronica said. "I'll come and take you to my house".

"Mellie and I are standing on the railway platform," I informed her.

"OK. I'll be there in twenty minutes," she said cheerfully.

* * *

Veronica's POV

I don't understand! Not that I'm not happy to see Ellie and Mellie, but I didn't send them any invitation. I haven't sent them messages of any kind for a month and a half! Maybe the letter they received is a real mystery for the Grimms to solve. It's so exciting to solve mysteries…

But first I have to come in this rusty, broken, noisy vehicle (to put it politely, the family car) to the railway station and take poor girls to our house.


	3. The secret of Fairyport Landing

**Chapter 3. The secret of **_**Fairy**_**port Landing**

Elaine's POV

Melanie and I had waited for twenty minutes until we heard some really terrible sounds: something was clanging, bouncing, rattling so loud that the noise nearly broke my eardrums. I spotted an ancient-looking rusty car approaching the platform. Veronica was driving it.

"Hello!" she smiled and got out of the car. "Oh, Ellie, how nice to see you again! And Mellie, I've missed your cheerfulness and optimism! C'mon, girls, let's get ourselves in my… er… vehicle".

I greeted and hugged Veronica and then asked her about the mysterious letter once more.

"Well, I still don't have any idea about who might have written it. Do you have it with you now?"

"Oh, I'm afraid not. I must have thrown it somewhere… I can't remember where it is".

Veronica seemed a little disappointed, but then cheered up again and gestured to the thing she had been driving. Melanie looked at the vehicle and cringed:

"Oh, is it safe to drive it?"

"There are no records about our family car crashing," Veronica laughed. "I hope it will survive the twenty-minute journey from here to the parking lane. Mellie, you get onto the backseat. Ellie, you sit in the front. Oh, I'm so happy you've come for a visit! Don't worry, my house isn't as broken and rusty as the car. It is not large but cozy… We'll get there soon. Ferryport Landing has traffic jams once in two centuries".

Mellie and our bags were on the backseat, and Veronica and I were sitting in the front. Though Veronica was chattering pleasantly about her house and her family, she hadn't lost interest in the letter. She asked me in a low voice about the handwriting, the address, even the quality of the paper. I was surprised: she sounded like a high-qualified detective.

Finally we arrived at Veronica's house. It looked cozy indeed: a yellow building with a brown roof, with oaks and apple-trees surrounding it. The apple blossom looked incredible indeed: like a white cloud with a sweet smell, covering the tree branches.

Veronica led me and Mellie to the porch. The front door was locked with numerous locks with keyholes of all shapes and sizes. Veronica took out an enormous key ring from her purse. The keys were also bizarre: they were made of brass, of wood, of glass, of ivory, and even of impossible materials such as water, fire, various gases, and rice paper.

Mellie and I gazed at Veronica, who started unlocking the door. After she was done with the locks, she knocked at the door and announced:

"We're home!"

"Veronica, why do you need this password and all the locks?" Mellie wondered. "Are you now a secret agent or something?"

"No, not a secret agent!" Veronica said, leading us to the living room of the house. "I'll make some tea and doughnuts for you, and then I'll explain everything… Oh goodness, the spare room isn't ready! Ellie, I know I sound strange, but please wait a minute! I must now go upstairs and prepare the spare room…"

"Why now?" I asked. "Veronica, I know we're unexpected. You can worry about the spare room later…"

But she was already running upstairs. Seconds later, I heard her opening a door and talking to someone loudly.

"Who lives here? I thought Veronica lived only with her husband and his mother. And they are both gone out of the town for a while", Mellie said. "Who else can that man talking with her be, Elaine?"

"Melanie, you are asking _me_ about it! Maybe it's another guest who's living in the spare room…" I suggested, feeling very uncomfortable. It was kind of odd. The conversation upstairs ended, and Veronica soon came down to us.

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. Let me take your bags to the spare room – it's ready now. Then I'll explain my strange behavior to you".

So Veronica did. She carried our bags to the first floor and gave us some tea with doughnuts. While we were enjoying it (the doughnuts were really delicious), she sat on a stool and sighed.

"Finally, I can tell you the most amazing secret of Fairyport Landing. Ellie, Mellie, you may think I'm crazy. Not at all. So, getting to the point… Fairy tale characters are _real_. Most of them are alive and well now, and they live here. In Fairyport Landing! They call themselves "Everafters", by the way. They can't leave the town, it's surrounded by a magic barrier the Everafters aren't able to pass. The barrier was created with the help of the Brothers Grimm, who chronicled many storied about Everafters. Guess what? My husband, Henry Grimm, is their descendant – to be exact, Wilhelm's Grimm descendant!"

I was dashed. Mellie looked shocked as well. We both believed in fairy tales, but we didn't expect their characters to inhabit a small boring American town! And Veronica Clarens – married to the Brothers Grimm' descendant…

"The barrier that prevents the Everafters from mixing with people and fighting with them stands forever on two conditions: a) the Grimm family mustn't die b) at least one of the Grimms must stay in Fairyport Landing. That's why I couldn't go to Boston with Henry!"

"Oh, my!" Mellie exclaimed. "And _whom _were you talking to upstairs?"

"To Mirror, who's the magic mirror from the story of Snow White. He lives with our family, in the spare room. He's also the guardian of a gigantic stockroom of magical objects".

Mellie squealed with excitement. I asked Veronica:

"And the letter I received… could it be made with the help of magic?"

"I thought the same. The Grimms' job, Ellie, is to investigate magical crimes and document odd events. I'm sure I have a mystery to solve – again!"

For a while, Mellie and I were acknowledging the dazzling news. Mellie was peppering Veronica with questions about fairy-tale characters… Everafters, I mean:

"And does Snow White herself live in the town?"

"Of course; she's a teacher in the elementary school."

"And Prince Charming…"

"Is our mayor."

"And… er… Sleeping Beauty?"

"Owns a coffee house."

"And Rapunzel?"

"She's a wonderful hairdresser, Mellie!"

When we finished our tea, Veronica introduced us to the Magic Mirror. He was very pleasant, but a little eccentric, in my opinion. If Veronica wanted to ask him a question, he insisted on making the question _rhymed_. Mellie found the fact hilarious, especially after Veronica attempted to ask Mirror about her husband. Mirror refused to answer any question which wasn't rhymed, so the poor woman had to think of a poem:

"Mirror, Mirror, please do tell if Henry Grimm is doing well".

"The grammar's not all good," Mirror mumbled. "Well, Henry's alive and well. Veronica, you're asking me this question a thousand times a day. You should better worry about the guests you have invited to dinner!"

"Oh, yes!" Veronica cried. "Ellie, I completely forgot that there are four guests coming here in less than two hours. I'm sorry…"

"Never mind," I smiled. "I'll help you with the dinner."

"Are they Everafters?" Mellie asked.

"Two of them, Mellie! The precious Snow White and the Pied Piper, now the headmaster of the school! But Mrs. Raymond and Mrs. Orvean are humans, so, Mellie, I won't mention Everafters during the dinner. Actually, these guests are invited because they are members of a charitable organization. We are going to discuss some improvements to the method of teaching in the elementary school and in the orphanage"

"Sorry," I interrupted. "How do you call Snow White and the Pied Piper in front of humans?"

"Ms. White and Mr. Hamelin," Veronica said. "All right, now, I need to prepare the dinner."

"I'll help you," I repeated eagerly.

"Thanks. Mellie, you can read some books in the living room or watch TV," Veronica said and we both went to the kitchen. Mellie kept herself busy by reading a huge encyclopedia entitled "Species of Unicorns" she found in the living room.

**The chapter can seem kind of boring – we know about the Everafters already… But Elaine and Melanie had to learn about the secret of Veronica's life!**

**Thanks to Lara D and SabrinaDaphne13 for the reviews. You can now see which musician Elaine is going to meet… but Puck might be mentioned in later chapters as well.**


	4. This method is unfair!

**Chapter 4. This method is unfair!**

Elaine's POV

Veronica and I made some onion soup, rissoles and ragout for the visitors. Veronica was still thinking about the strange letter I received, but she hadn't come up with any ideas about the solution of the mystery.

I have finished cooking fifteen minutes before the guests arrived, thus I barely had enough time to put my new dress on and to instruct Melanie about perfect behavior. When I was done with all this, I heard a knock at the door. Veronica came to answer it.

"Yes… oh, Mrs. Raymond, please come in", she said and unlocked the door in less than a minute. I saw a short middle-aged woman with an ingenuous, childish grin entering the hall. She noticed Melanie and me, and her grin became even happier, as if we were her dearest daughters.

"Mrs. Raymond, let me introduce Ms. Elaine Larren – she's a friend of mine. And this is her little sister Melanie," Veronica gestured to us. "Elaine, Melanie – this is Mrs. Anne Raymond, one of the most generous members of Ferryport Landing Charitable Organization."

"So, _so, SO_ happy to meet you," Mrs. Raymond shook our hands. Veronica led her to the living room, while another guest started knocking at the door. I had to open it. This time, the visitor was a man. He seemed to be in his late twenties; he was tall, with dark hair, gray eyes, and a slightly crooked nose. I guessed he was Mr. Hamelin, or the Pied Piper – the only man invited to this dinner.

Veronica hurried back to the hall and started the introduction ceremony again:

"Mr. Hamelin, good afternoon, how nice to see you! I'd like you to meet Ms. Elaine Larren, my friend who came to visit me, and her sister Melanie".

"Mrs. Grimm has told me so much about you," he said, shaking my hand. "I learned from her that you're her closest friend from outside the barr… I mean Ferryport Landing."

"Elaine and Melanie know about the Everafters," Veronica said in a low voice. The Piper was a bit embarrassed: he wasn't the best character in his story. But he gave us a friendly smile and went to the living room.

Snow White herself was the next one. She was kind and sweet with everybody, but especially the children. Melanie was excited to meet her and whispered to me after Ms. White went away:

"Ms. White is the best of the guests!"

A slender blonde woman about my age with a sad face was five minutes late. She was introduced as Mrs. Paula Orvean. Later Veronica told me that Mrs. Orvean's husband had recently died of cancer, and that's why the woman had never laughed anymore and rarely even smiled.

The dinner began. Veronica started to talk about the Ferryport Landing Orphanage with the guests. As I understood, the orphanage was found by the charitable organization, naturally, for the good of the orphans, but the orphans didn't like the methods of teaching used in there. The charitable organization was confused.

"According to the papers, 20% of the children have bad marks for all subjects!" the Piper said. "We have two hundred and a half children total, so it means that fifty of them are absolutely lazy or retarded. I'm not including the ones who have bad marks for some subjects! They all have to brainstorm _and _improve!".

"I agree with you, Mr. Hamelin!" Mrs. Raymond argued. "But we need to convince them to brainstorm. We'll convince them pleasantly and slowly-y…"

"That will take forever," Mrs. Orvean interrupted. "We have to be strict with the kids. We have to say firmly 'You. Must. Improve. Your. Marks'".

"I've tried!" the Piper shouted. "They wouldn't listen. I mean, some of them would, but not all of them…"

"But Mr. Hamelin, think about the poor kids' nerves!" Snow White said. "They are orphans, they need a comfortable life and caring teachers."

"Well, if the children can't be strictly induced to work," Mrs. Orvean snapped, "I don't see methods other than the one used in the orphanage right now."

Veronica listened to them then said:

"We have two votes against two. Mr. Hamelin and Mrs. Orvean don't want to change the methods, Ms. White and Mrs. Raymond are protecting the children's nerves. As for me, I can name the pros and cons of either point of view. You need another vote…" she suddenly turned to me. "Ellie, you've once told me you had attended correspondence courses of pedagogic… Could you help the charitable organization?"

"I don't even know what teaching method you are discussing!" I said.

Veronica led me away from the dining table and explained the point in a low voice:

"Well, you remember the legend about the Pied Piper? He played his magical pipe and hypnotized first rats, then children to leave the city of Hamelin. So, now we have an orphanage with more than a hundred retards and idlers. They have to improve their intellects. Thus, the Piper is hypnotizing them to sit and learn the subjects they don't know all day long. The children don't like it. Would you replace this teaching method with a softer one?"

"Of course!" I said loudly. "Mr. Hamelin, imagine the poor children's point of view. They do remember the school curriculum, but they don't remember hours, days of their own lives! This can literally drive them crazy. If you just pleasantly convince them to study hard, it might take a longer time to develop their knowledge, but the children will have warm and _full_ memories about their orphanage. To put it short: I think the current method of teaching is unfair!"

"Thanks, Ms. Larren!" Snow White said triumphantly. "Now we have three votes against two!"

The Piper was in deep thought for a while, then he smiled and nodded:

"All right, the next school year brings new teaching methods to the orphanage. I see now that the old ones could badly affect the kids. I really had to imagine myself as an orphanage's student much earlier…"

The dinner continued with a pleasant talk about the things _not _related to pedagogic. Veronica told everybody about Henry Grimm's business trips; Mrs. Raymond and Ms. White were chattering with Melanie about the difference between America and England; I talked with the Piper about science. Poor sad Mrs. Orvean departed when the pedagogical argument ended.

It was quite late when the rest of the guests left. Mrs. Raymond was in her sunny mood as usual, she seemed not tired at all. Ms. White was a little sleepy, and Veronica, Melanie and I were exhausted.

The Piper was already putting his raincoat on when he looked at me:

"Oh, Ms. Larren, would you like to dine with me tomorrow at six thirty, at the Blue Plate Special?"

I was surprised but nodded, and he waved to us and went away.


	5. A dinner with the Piper

**Here's a new chapter. Thanks to EstrangeloEdessa for the reviews for two previous chapters!**

**Chapter 5. A dinner with the Piper**

Elaine's POV

"Does anybody know what should I wear?" I asked. "What dress is more suitable for a date with the Pied Piper?"

"You should put on the same lilac dress you wore yesterday," Veronica said. "You look splendid in it. And wear your hair loose, you'll look almost like a modern fair-haired version of Rapunzel. Don't put on too much makeup, Ellie: a little blush for your pale complexion, lip gloss and perhaps some mascara and eyeliner will be enough."

I followed her instruction and found out that I looked rather nice. Melanie saw me and exclaimed:

"Oh, Elaine! You look just like Elaine from Tennyson's 'The Lady of Shalott' poem. The Piper's going to fall in love with you immediately!"

Really, sometimes Melanie's remarks can get quite embarrassing. **(A/N: Melanie and Daphne are very similar indeed) **If I didn't wear blush already, I would have blushed. Melanie winked at me, but then took a look at the clock and said in a worried voice:

"You better hurry. It's six hours five minutes now. Veronica, tell Elaine about how to get to that café!"

"All right!" Veronica smiled. "So, Ellie, you go down the Main Street until you see the crossroads with Ferryport Landing's one and only traffic light. There you turn right and walk for a while until seeing the Blue Plate Special diner itself. The building is painted blue, so you'll notice it for sure. I would have taken you there in the car, but I'm busy. I need to go to some of my Everafter friends. I'm still solving the mystery of the letter you received, you know.

"So, getting back to the point. It will take you about twenty minutes to get to the diner, thus you should go right now. Today the weather's fine, so you don't need any coat."

"The last question. Are you taking Melanie with you?"

"Of course! Mellie's anxious to meet as many Everafters as possible."

"Then great." I said, relieved. "Melanie, be good girl. I'll be back probably about half past nine, maybe a little later."

I walked for five minutes or so when I met the Piper. He had just exited the florist shop with a lovely bouquet of lilies and orchids.

"Good evening, Ms. Larren!" he smiled, embarrassed. "These flowers… er… are for you."

I doubt he ever gave flowers to anybody else before.

"Oh, what wonderful orchids! And white lilies are my favorite flowers!" I said. It was true. The Piper looked like he got all happiness in the world. We went to the Blue Plate together. He naturally complimented that my loose hair looked perfect, and the lilac dress fitted my eyes and complexion, etc. I've already heard it from a dozen men back in Bristol, but the Piper seemed more genuine than any of them.

The Blue Plate Special couldn't be ignored indeed. It was a blue house with an azure neon sign _**"THE BLUE PLATE SPECIAL DINER"**_ The building also had floor-to-ceiling windows, so I could see a large dining hall inside. The hall wasn't too crowded, thus it was quiet, with a faint smell of fried potatoes filling the air. I liked this diner immediately.

The Piper led me to a free table near the window. We gave our orders to a waitress with a strange name of Farra, and she went to prepare them. The Piper turned to me:

"By the way, Ms. Larren," he said in a quiet voice, "I can tell you that this waitress is an Everafter as well, in fact, one of the most powerful Everafters in the world. She's the Blue Fairy from the story of Pinocchio."

"Oh, really?" I was shocked. The waitress looked… well, very plain. But then, again, I wasn't still able to imagine that the young handsome man sitting near me could lead a flock of rats and later a crowd of children away from the city of Hamelin.

"She always disguises herself to look plain and ordinary. That's much more safe for her and everybody else," the Piper seemed to read my thoughts. "Only some other powerful Everafters like me know her true identity. Ms. Larren, promise me you'll keep this secret."

"Of course I will," I said. "And you can call me Elaine."

We continued talking. I was eager to know more about the Everafters. I can't remember exactly how the topic changed, but an hour later we were discussing the Piper's own story.

"I know it was cruel to lead the kids away from their home," he said. "But, you know, back in the 13th century I used to be very sensitive. And the burgomaster of Hamelin didn't pay me a penny for saving the city from rats! So I decided to punish the citizens.

"Anyway, I didn't make the children disappear or whatever the legend says," he added. "I found a nice valley without dangerous animals or anything else harmful. I led the kids to this valley, and, as I remember, they actually built a town there when they grew up a little, and they lived happily ever after. Their descendants were known as friendly and _generous_ people."

"I see now that you weren't so negative in this story as it was described! Oh, by the way, I've always wanted to know one other detail of it. Did you simply hypnotize the rats and the kids by playing a magic pipe? Or was there something in the tune as well?" I asked.

"Well, yes. I have different tunes for different creatures. The tune for the rats… how to put it… made them see millions of bushels of grain in the bottom of the river that floated nearby. The rats didn't think anything: they just jumped into the river, and you can figure out what was the end.

"The tune for the kids made them imagine a gigantic playground. They tried to approach it."

"How peculiar!" I smiled.

"I can even think of a tune for an exact person. This ability turned out to be very helpful, for example, a hundred years ago, when I stopped a big dog from chasing the Cheshire Cat. The dog saw an _enormous_ piece of beef and wanted to taste it. The Cheshire Cat ran away in a flash."

It was really interesting to talk with the Piper. After dinner, we went for a walk to Mount Taurus – not a very high mountain, but a picturesque one. I forgot about the time and remembered it after glancing at my pocket watch. It showed quarter past ten! Melanie and Veronica were certainly worried about me.

I heartily thanked the Piper for the pleasant time I had. He asked:

"Elaine, maybe we'll meet again tomorrow?"

"I'd be happy, Piper."

"Wonderful! Just the same – at six thirty, at the Blue Plate Special".

We agreed to dine together on the next day as well, and then, unfortunately, I had to hurry back home. But the hurry turned out to be unnecessary! Melanie and Veronica weren't as worried as I expected.

"Mirror told us you'd come back late," Veronica explained. "May I spoil your excellent mood? I have no solution to the case of the mysterious letter."

"It didn't spoil my mood!" I laughed. "We agreed to meet tomorrow, Veronica. I even think that this case should go unsolved for a longer while…"

Veronica shrugged, but Melanie had been teasing me about the next date with the Piper for the rest of the evening.

**Wasn't it romantic?**


	6. Love ever after

**Thanks to EstrangeloEdessa for the review!**

**Well, the romantic story is going on with**

**Chapter 6. Love ever after**

**The 29****th**** of August 1994**

Elaine's POV

It's now a bright August, and Melanie and I are still in Ferryport Landing. Henry and Relda Grimm are back home, along with the family's guardian Mr. Canis (the Big Bad Wolf). Mr. Canis has a tiny shack in the forests around Ferryport Landing, and he goes to live there every time most of the Grimms leave the town.

So, the little house is full of people. Henry, Relda and Veronica keep investigating the Mysterious Letter Case. They are as close to the solution of it as they were three months ago. As for me, I feel like I'm stuck in Ferryport Landing like an Everafter because of some stupid letter I received… or didn't receive.

But I can't say I don't like being stuck in here. The Pied Piper is taking me to parties, dances and dinners almost every day. We are bosom friends, and Melanie is teasing me nearly nonstop about this fact. I don't feel annoyed by teasing, because… in fact… she's absolutely right. The Piper's the most honest, the cleverest, the…. best man I've ever met in my life.

So, actually, I like Ferryport Landing very much. I don't even miss Bristol very much: I don't have any close friends or relatives left there, and a little old-fashioned town is better for me than a famous resort.

**Later**

Well, the sweetest day ever came. It's midnight now, and I've just returned from Mount Taurus. I should have felt exhausted, but there's a sunny, clear morning in my soul. I know it's an archaic expression, but this is exactly how I feel. When I returned to the Grimms' house, everybody guessed the reason of it in a moment.

Today, while standing near the bottom of Mount Taurus, the Piper proposed to me! His proposal wasn't spoken in a 'florid' style – just in simple words which did fully reflect the Piper's true feelings for me better than any beautiful expressions. Oh, I cried; but those were happy tears. I wished to become a nightingale to fly high above and sing about my happiness.

"Yes, I love you!" I cried. "I will marry you, and I'll stay here in Ferryport Landing forever! I'll be happier here _with you, Piper,_ than anywhere with I-don't-know-whom-else!"

He smiled and looked at me lovingly, and we kissed. I felt like I've got my happily ever after, despite the fact that I was a human.

**The next day**

My engagement ring brought me more than I had hoped. I'm talking not about the engagement, but about the ring itself. I'm looking at it now. It is made of pure gold, with a fabulous red gemstone. This gemstone is magical! There is my ever essence held inside it. I'm now an Everafter! Melanie has a blue stone in her new bracelet, and it makes her an Everafter as well.

The story of us becoming Everafters is a truly unbelievable one! Yesterday, after I accepted the Piper's proposal, he told me:

"And don't worry that I'll look younger than you, say, twenty or so years later. Everafters can age if they want to."

"Oh, it's such a pity you have to become old because of me! I wish I was an Everafter, too." I said.

"But you'd be trapped inside the barrier, darling!"

"So what? Melanie and I aren't fond of traveling, and I have no family or close friends outside Ferryport Landing. This town is more interesting than all big cities combined. And I'll be here with _you_!"

"I warned you about the barrier because I know that you're able to become an Everafter!" the Piper said. "Veronica has recently figured out that you are the great-granddaughter of the Lady of Shalott. You may have heard about this Everafter, Alfred Tennyson wrote about her."

I was dazzled. The Lady of Shalott, my favorite book character, is my ancestor! Maybe that's the reason why both Melanie and me adore the poem about her. Who knows?.. It was another wonderful surprise for me.

"'The Lady of Shalott' is my favorite poem!" I exclaimed.

"Mine too, Elaine. Sadly, your great-grandmother fell in love with a mortal and gave her ever essence away to the Blue Fairy. In her will she left it to her children or further descendants. So the Blue Fairy still has _your and Mellie_'s ever essence, hidden in two gemstones. All you need to do is ask her to give it to you at last."

It was fascinating. We'll literally live happily ever after!

"I'll go to the Blue Plate right now, dear! Ah, and why didn't you give the gemstones to us earlier?" I teased.

"I wasn't sure if you'd agree to be trapped here." my fiancé explained.

We went to the Blue Fairy, and she presented the magical gemstones to me. In ten minutes, Melanie and I were Everafters.

"You don't have to waste your time solving the case," I told the Grimms. "I won't come back to England anyway."

"But it's an interesting one!" Veronica pleaded. "I love incredibly difficult cases!"

"We'll just enjoy ourselves solving it," Henry added.

Well, they can go on solving the mystery if they want. Veronica must also help me with preparing the wedding: it is going to take place on the 30th of September, we have a month left. It's a terribly long time, but I'm going to meet with my dearest fiancé every day: Melanie was enrolled at Ferryport Landing Elementary, and I've got a job at the orphanage!

I'm the happiest and luckiest girl in the world!

**Do you want to know the solution of the Mysterious Letter Case? Then read the next chapter; else you can skip it and go straight to the epilogue. It will appear soon: I'll probably write the rest of the story tomorrow.**

**And I'm waiting for the new reviews!**


	7. There's magic in his music

**Thanks to Lara D and EstrangeloEdessa for the reviews! Note to Lara D: Sorry to disappoint you, but the sender of that letter is someone different… Just read and see!**

**Chapter 7. There's magic in his music**

Elaine's POV

_A fragment from Elaine's diary, __**the 16**__**th**__** of September:**_

"It's the middle of September now. I'm preparing the wedding and working at the orphanage, Melanie's one of the best students in Ferryport Landing Elementary, and the Grimms are solving the Mysterious Letter Case – with no luck. Well, in fact, if they solve it, I'll go and thank the sender. This letter brought me to the Piper!"

I wrote it down and went to the Blue Plate to dine with my fiancé. Walking along the street, I remembered our first date. Back then, we talked about the Everafters in general and about the Piper's story in particular. Suddenly, the Piper's phrases about his magical tunes echoed in my mind:

"_I have different tunes for different creatures… The tune for the rats… made them see millions of bushels of grain in the bottom of the river… The tune for the kids made them imagine a gigantic playground… I can even think of a tune for an exact person… I stopped a big dog from chasing the Cheshire Cat. The dog saw an enormous piece of beef and wanted to taste it."_

I wondered why I paid so much attention to these words. What did all this have to do with _me_? And then I remembered how I felt after receiving and losing the Mysterious Letter:

*Flashbacks*

…_I opened my eyes. I've just had a daydream, or a flashback, or some kind of hallucination…_

…_I was a little distracted. Maybe it was because I fainted a minute ago…_

…_In my dream, I've received a letter from my old friend Veronica Grimm. She was inviting me to come and visit her in Ferryport Landing. Melanie's dream (or hallucination?) was amazingly similar to mine. I suspected that we both needed to go to a psychiatrist: either the two of us were having one hallucination or we both fainted at the same time and lost a bit of our memory (which is more possible)…_

…_I was considering the wise decision about the psychiatrist when some noise or a little musical note brought me back to reality…_

…_Anyway, I felt like I temporarily lost my mind…_

*Flashbacks End*

Struck by a crazy thought, I ran to the Blue Plate. The Piper was already there, waiting for me anxiously.

"Elaine, dear!" he cried. "I want to tell you something important. Please don't be mad at me."

"Piper, wait a minute with your news," I said. "I have a guess about the Mysterious Letter Case. If it's wrong, please don't _you_ be mad at _me_."

"Yes, Elaine?" he said.

"I remember you telling me that your magical tunes make people… living creatures imagine different things. Also I remember that the day I (supposedly) received the Letter, I was feeling distracted and literally crazy; and I kept hearing musical notes…"

"I can understand your hints," the Piper said with remorse. "You've come to a conclusion that I played my pipe far away in America and made a certain Ms. Elaine Larren in England imagine an invitation letter from her dearest friend."

There was a long sad pause. I sighed and hurried to explain:

"Darling, I love you and I love the Grimms and I love Ferryport Landing. I was just wondering to know the reasons…"

"Your guess is right," the Piper whispered. "Elaine, every time I came to visit the Grimms – which happened frequently – Veronica mentioned you. She has told me so much about you that I felt like I knew you in person. And I really wanted to meet you. I asked Veronica to invite you here a dozen times, but she was too busy with solving mysteries and investigating crimes. She kept forgetting…"

"So you decided to invite me here yourself by playing a magical tune?" I finished the story. I didn't know how to react to it.

"N-not exactly, dear. One day I was playing the pipe just to enjoy myself, I felt lonely. I remembered Veronica's description of you and thought: oh, if I only could meet this girl from Bristol, I think I'd become good friends with her, her character seems to be similar to mine. I started imagining what would happen if Veronica invited you here and I didn't notice when I began playing not a simple tune but a special magical one for you. I mustered the courage to tell you about it today myself. Oh, Elaine, are you… are you angry?"

"Not much," I smiled and kissed him. "It wasn't very fair, but – well – I think I'll forgive you. According to what you told me, it was an accident. A lucky accident, in fact. So thanks for bringing me here to yourself."

…Melanie, Veronica, Henry, Relda, and Mirror found the solution of the case quite funny. Melanie wasn't mad at all, she was glad to live in Ferryport Landing as well.

…The Piper and I got married on the last day of September. It was very sunny and warm for a normal mid-autumn day, and birds were even singing. I believe that nature itself pleased us with a wedding gift. Melanie was the flower girl, the most joyful flower girl ever. Snow White and Faith Raymond (Mrs. Raymond's daughter) appeared as two beautiful bridesmaids.

The Piper and I look forward to living happily ever after! Thanks to the magic of his music, we are together in a tiny fairy-tale kingdom of _Fairyport_ Landing.

**There'll be an epilogue.**


	8. The epilogue 20 years later

**The epilogue. 20 years later**

**The 30****th**** of September, 2014**

The Piper's POV

Today's the platinum jubilee of my wedding with my beloved Elaine Larren. I've decided to document the most important events that occurred in Ferryport Landing during our marriage and then give her this chronicle as an additional present.

The 21st of November, 1995 – Elaine was found out to be expecting our first child! When Nurse Sprat (the only Everafter working in a hospital) announced it, I could feel myself beaming with great happiness and pride! We decided how we'd name the kid. A boy would be named Wendell and a girl would be called Melanie. I was so excited I couldn't concentrate on my work!.. Nurse Sprat advised me to "keep Elaine safe from any nervous or physical damage", by the way. Isn't this what I always do?

The 22nd of July, 1996 – despite my efforts to prevent it, Elaine's nerves suffered a lot. Veronica announced she was expecting her own child, and Henry insisted on them both leaving Ferryport Landing – to be safe from Everafters! My poor Elaine was nearly in hysterics when saying goodbyes to her best friend. I couldn't understand Henry at all. He'd always had a kind of paranoia. Elaine was terribly hurt, we both hoped it wouldn't affect our baby.

The 19th of August, 1996 – little Wendell Hamelin was born! He's a perfectly healthy and nice-looking kid, and Elaine is the sweetest of all mothers! (I use present tenses because it's still more than true)

The 3rd of May, 1997 – we receive short letters from Veronica and Henry rather rarely, and today, the letter was very long and joyful. Veronica's first child now was born, a girl called Sabrina. According to the letter that was read aloud by Elaine, she had a face like Veronica's but more beautiful, and her eyes were Henry's. Elaine was almost as happy as she was after giving birth to Wendell!

The 12th of January, 1998 – goodness! Wendell inherited my magical music talents. He retrieved my magic pipe (without my permission) and used it to make mosquitoes fly right into a spider-web. I scolded him for playing with powerful things, but I was _so_ proud of my son!

The 17th of June, 1998 – another parting. Melanie finished junior high school, took off her ever essence bracelet and went to New York City to study further. Elaine's depressed again. Her heart is so soft, she can't stand parting with relatives and bosom friends. She wrote to Veronica and told her to take good care of Mellie. Melanie was too young to be alone in a large city – she was only thirteen that time.

The 11th of June, 1999 – Henry and Veronica had their second daughter born. The girl was named Daphne. Elaine was very happy for her friends again!

The 24th of August, 2000 – Wendell was enrolled at Ferryport Landing Elementary. He was (and still remains) a mischievous boy, so I gave him strict rules of behavior: 1) No magical music 2) No noise during lessons. Then I read dozens of pedagogical books to learn what a headmaster must do if his own son is studying in his school.

The 11th of November, 2006 – another Everafter working in the school, Rumpelstiltskin, offered me a plan of escaping the barrier. I was annoyed with the barrier very much, so I agreed to hypnotize the schoolchildren (except Wendell, of course) to dig a tunnel through the barrier underground. I didn't consider the consequences back then…

The 18th of March, 2007 – there was some gossip about Henry and Veronica mysteriously disappearing.

The 31st of November, 2009 – Relda found out that Henry and Veronica had disappeared, indeed! There were no clues on where they might have been. My poor darling wife burst into tears after hearing the news. Relda took Sabrina and Daphne to live with her.

The 2nd of December, 2009 – there were a great many adventures in these two days! Relda was kidnapped by a giant, and her granddaughters barely managed to save her and Canis. They also discovered that it was all Jack the Giant Killer's fault, and that he was a member of some shadowy "Scarlet Hand" groups. Sounds scary.

The 8th of December, 2009. I hate Rumpelstiltskin and the Scarlet Hand! I'll stay inside the barrier forever! I'm going to forget my magical talents!.. Rumpelstiltskin and his beasty adopted kids nearly killed Wendell and _did_ kill a teacher and a caretaker! Luckily, the sisters Grimm stopped all this stupid barrier-breaking plan and killed Rumpelstiltskin himself. It didn't matter that my school's building had ceased to exist because of all that.

The worst thing was that all this caused a terrible quarrel between Elaine and me. The quarrel grew into a scandal, and the scandal nearly led to a divorce! I was almost in tears myself. Elaine, the kindest and softest woman of the world, finally believed my remorse and we reconciled. Wendell helped us to regain our quiet and peaceful life.

The 26th of July, 2010. I'm happy I didn't join the Scarlet Hand. This tyrannical organization wanted to take over the world, so its members started a horrible civil war against the humans. I naturally was on the humans' side. The army fighting with the Hand was led by Prince Charming, and I was one of the sergeants. We won the war after a long hard time. We were betrayed by several Everafters. I've sworn to forget their names…

Many of our troops perished, but my little family and the Grimms are all safe… Sorry, not all of them. Jake, Henry's younger brother, lost his fiancée Briar Rose in this war. She's the one who's most sadly mourned by us.

Henry and Veronica themselves are back with us! Elaine has a bosom friend again.

* * *

NOW

The barrier's still surrounding Ferryport Landing, but we don't mind it. The Scarlet Hand members are lifetime prisoners – which means they are in a spellbound prison forever.

Sabrina Grimm recently got married to Puck (from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream). And, which was _much _more surprising, Relda Grimm got married for the second time right after the end of the war, to Mr. Canis. The young and not-so-young couples, as well as the rest of the Grimms, live happily.

But it's not the most important news! The main thing is that _my son is engaged_! During the war, Wendell was very protective over Little Red Riding Hood, but nobody suspected they'd both grow up and fall in love! They'll get married when Wendell finishes college.

Oh, and another happy time came! Wendell now has a little brother and a little sister! My second son Alfred has also inherited my magical abilities, and his twin sister Melanie-Janet has her mother's looks and her aunt's character! By the way, the elder Melanie didn't return to Ferryport Landing. She lives in Bristol again, married to a BBC producer. But she comes for visits every month.

Elaine and me had quarreled only once in these twenty years. I can't speak for the others in _Fairy_port Landing, but I know I got my own happily ever after with my dear Elaine and our children.

THE END.


End file.
